Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said combating terrorism requires collaboration by the whole world, calling for collective action in supporting countries that are facing terrorism and taking up a decisive stance against the countries that support terrorism.
Sisi’s remarks came during the session on ‘International Peace and Security Challenges’ on the second day of World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The Egyptian president said that if terrorist groups manage to achieve their targets and take control of some countries, the world would end up with terrorist states, which would affect development and lead to displacement.
He noted that terrorism is a “satanic industry” that uses religion as a cover to achieve its goals.
“Terrorism has now become a cover for many states to attain their political goals, and this is what all the youth of the world should understand,” the president said.
“For example, to inflict harm on a state like Egypt, [terrorist groups] carry out one or two terrorist operations to strike blows against tourism in Egypt, which has cost the country around $14 to $15 billion… since we have limited resources, this cripples the country for two or three years before it can return to its normal course,” he clarified.
“We have been fighting terrorism alongside working to achieve development goals, because we know the difference between individuals’ needs and the state’s needs,” he added.
Sisi added that the United Nations was established more than 70 years ago under difficult international circumstances, but it must be reformed to meet the current challenges in the region.
Sisi added that when great powers are in conflict, small countries pay the price, citing the African saying, “When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
Source: Ahram Online
